Rethinking Showering Less and Osaka’s “Washing Machine for People”: Science Co.’s Mirai Ningen Sentakuki

Many people are turning on the shower less often - not out of laziness, but for health, environmental and technological reasons.

Bathroom cabinets may still be crammed with shower gels and shampoos, yet the everyday shower routine is increasingly being questioned. Dermatologists, environmental researchers and tech companies alike are pushing us to rethink our relationship with water and soap. At the same time, Japan is even developing a “washing machine for people”, reframing the whole idea of personal hygiene.

Showering less: a trend or a sensible reset?

For years, the rule of thumb was simple: if you want to be clean, you shower every day. That assumption now feels increasingly outdated. A growing body of research suggests that daily hot showers can irritate the skin, strip away its natural protective barrier and even aggravate certain skin conditions.

“The idea that only a daily shower is hygienic is under massive pressure.”

As a result, many people are changing their habits: instead of stepping into the shower every day, they wash only specific areas, keep showers shorter, or switch from hot to lukewarm water. Alongside this, public debate about water scarcity, energy prices and sustainability is adding further momentum.

What happens to your skin if you shower less often?

Your skin has a natural layer of oils and its own microflora of bacteria that acts like a protective shield. Washing too frequently with harsh surfactants can rinse away precisely that protection.

• Skin can become dry and feel tight.
• Eczema and atopic dermatitis can worsen.
• Skin may react more quickly to irritation from cold, heat or clothing.
• Natural body odour can change - sometimes even for the better, because the bacterial balance stabilises.

Dermatologists are now often advising a thorough full-body shower only every two to three days - and, on the days in between, cleaning armpits, the intimate area and feet with a little water and mild soap. That may sound radical to some, but medically it is increasingly well supported.

Environmental reasons: water, energy and CO₂

Showering can be a hidden driver of emissions. A five-minute hot shower can easily use 50 to 60 litres of water, plus a noticeable amount of energy to heat it.

Showering behaviour	Average water use
5-minute shower, standard shower head	Approx. 50–60 litres
5-minute shower, water-saving shower head	Approx. 30–35 litres
Daily shower (year)	Over 18,000 litres of water

Reducing how often you shower doesn’t just cut your water bill - it also lowers energy demand and therefore CO₂ emissions. With heating costs high, many households are paying closer attention to how often and how long hot water runs, which is also shaping shower habits.

Technology instead of daily showers: the “washing machine for people”

Running alongside this shift, a company in Osaka is working on a radical alternative to the traditional shower. Science Co. has developed a high-tech capsule designed to wash and dry the entire body in around 15 minutes. The system is called “Mirai Ningen Sentakuki” - roughly, a “washing machine for the human of the future”.

The process sounds more like a spa treatment than a quick rinse:

• The person sits inside a closed capsule.
• Water fills the interior and a system of fine microbubbles begins.
• The bubbles lift dirt and sebum from the skin - without vigorous scrubbing.
• Sensors continuously measure heart rate and other physical data.
• An AI system adjusts water temperature, spray pressure, lighting mood and sounds.
• At the end, an integrated drying system takes over - the person steps out almost completely dry.

“In around a quarter of an hour, the whole body is meant to be washed, relaxed and dried - at the push of a button.”

Hygiene meets health tracking

What sets this capsule apart is how it combines personal hygiene with health monitoring. During the wash cycle, the system records biometric data such as heart rate, indications of stress strain, or changes in certain vital parameters.

The built-in AI analyses this information in real time and modifies the programme accordingly. If a high stress level is detected, the machine responds with warmer water, gentler pressure and calming sounds. If pronounced tiredness is indicated, it could instead choose more invigorating settings - cooler water, energising lighting colours and a more wake-up soundscape.

That means the device goes well beyond the notion of a “quick shower”. It becomes a hybrid of washing machine, wellness cabin and digital health coach.

An old vision, enabled by new technology

The dream of an automated body-washing machine isn’t entirely new. Early prototypes appeared at the World Expo in Osaka back in the 1970s. At the time, the key missing pieces were precise sensors, powerful computing and AI - all needed to make such a system practical for everyday use.

Today’s development revives that vision with modern sensor technology, microbubble systems and intelligent control. Whether capsules like this will one day be installed in private homes, or instead mainly in hotels, care facilities and wellness centres, remains unclear. What is clear is that devices like these could significantly change how we think about personal care.

What does this mean for everyday showering?

With new scientific insights, rising energy costs and futuristic concepts like the “washing machine for people”, one basic question comes to the fore: how much water and soap do we really need to stay clean and healthy?

Many experts now argue for a more flexible model:

• A thorough full-body shower one to three times per week.
• Daily cleansing of armpits, the intimate area, feet and hands.
• Skin-friendly products that are as unperfumed as possible.
• Lukewarm water instead of long, hot streams.

Technologies like the Japanese capsule could accelerate this shift by making hygiene more efficient while putting wellbeing at the centre. Instead of “get clean quickly”, the focus moves towards a personalised moment of care and relaxation.

Practical everyday tips - without a high-tech capsule

Not everyone is waiting for a futuristic machine in the bathroom. You can adjust your shower routine using straightforward changes:

• Set a timer: stay in the shower for a maximum of five minutes.
• Turn off the water intermittently, for example while lathering.
• Fit a water-saving shower head to limit flow.
• Use a cream shower gel only where it’s genuinely needed.
• After showering, moisturise with a simple, oil-rich lotion.

People who shift their habits gradually often notice after a few weeks that their skin feels less tight and redness eases. At the same time, water and heating costs drop - an effect that can show up clearly in a household budget.

How hygiene, health and technology will become more closely linked

The high-tech capsule from Osaka offers a glimpse of what may come next: personal care becoming data-driven, personalised and more closely tied to health considerations. Links to smartwatches or health apps are conceivable, allowing long-term comparisons between stress levels and sleep quality on the one hand, and showering or bathing rituals on the other.

For people with limitations - for instance in care settings - systems like this could make daily life easier: less physical strain during washing, along with better oversight of circulation, resilience and wellbeing. On the other hand, it also raises questions about data protection, dependence on technology and the cost of such devices.

One thing is certain: the classic daily shower is under debate more than ever. Between showering less often, more deliberate body care and futuristic washing capsules, a quiet but far-reaching change is taking place in the bathroom - with implications for our health, our bills and our overall use of water.